Cancel that HIIT session, we’re off to the cinema instead.
According to a study carried out by University College London and Vue Entertainment, a couple of hours in the cinema might just be as beneficial as slaving away in the gym. As part of the study, fifty-one participants were made to watch the 2019 live-action adaptation of Aladdin, while biometric sensors kept track of changes in their body temperature, heart rate and skin reactions.
Results showed that as participants watched the movie, their heart rate increased and remained in the healthy heart zone for an average of 40 minutes. According to scientists, this light increase in heart rate can help build up cardio fitness and burn fat.
But heart rates didn’t only raise to a healthy beat, they also synced up with those of the people around them. This meant that the strangers connected at a deeper emotional level while watching the movie. Awww.
Similar studies on focus and memory also suggested that concentrating on one activity (like watching a film) rather than multitasking, can be very beneficial for our brain health. So going to the cinema is not only beneficial for our physical health but also our mental and emotional health.
Hitting the gym with a friend or significant other won’t allow for the same kind of deep, emotional bonding as going to the movies, will it? So next time they ask you to go on a run around Heaton Park with them, why not politely suggest getting your cardio done to the rhythm of your synced up heartbeats while watching the latest release?
Words by Rose Castro Diaz. Originally posted on Secret D.C.